New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-08
THE VIEWS OF COAL HANGERS.
PRICES :. TRIKEs AND ARBITRATION.
wuAr Mrssns. conn1v. rorrs ANp uoLpEN TOLD

incomes are 100000. and others who swore that
they night and day 10 get together even 5oo
year. Ex-AttOrney General Leslie W. Russell asked
questions in behalf OF the committee. who were AS
semblymen Iiogeboom Ainsworth. Collins kimoaI ana
Martin Mr. Hogoboom sat at the clerks desk once ori
mented by BILLY Moloncy the feetfooed Mercury OF
the "boodle" Aldermen. and administered the oath 10
fhe witnesses Frederick A. Potts first examined
He said he president OF the New York. susquehanna
and Western Railroad Company and senior member oil the
firm of Frederick A. Potts Co. He was also the pres
dent of the NewYork Coal Exchange, organization
created last year to facilitate transportation Of coal
and to correct tho mild abuses OF the trade 1t was not
an extremely successful organization IA many OF the
larger dealers had not become associated with IT, lhe
only time had had connection with the set'e
mont Of strikes in the of the strike of the boat
men and coal hands Baltimore last December lie con
tinued:
An arrangement was effected with the Baltimore dealers ny
winch strike settled aud system OF wag's ats,Eg
10 this teement but mnch to surprise TIE boamen on
sir 70 co oDerate with other labor organizations The
forests handlers and dealers are a denic ana ne,e
no why they should not be Ia perfect harmony
They are both preventing delay It merely
% ooa oao tons II costs from 81 50 to Al IS
Of coal The mine into ne car or snpm@t IKE ot
adaerence in some reeonsin ~. cost on ms sum , 10
say port1uon handling over about 100 or ito
sale price averages 81 40 ton Tho difference between that
aud he cost Of mining does wholly represent trauapor
ton There caril acreage cost OF plant AMI o one,
things 10 pay for The Irasns Why coal co,u ~
81 40 wholesale sod at retail Tor - Ton can ny
retail dealer bui not cnongh to ns
snch charge as That wa l,' ''T ~ e,n ,r al In
October The cost Of stove coal was - 10 ton ne{efT V
90 cents more handling - and delivery at ne
SSasT y t4rns %s' R eo 20 cS Instead Of 90 I"
Goa, over The river co, is now piaE o h, IS ,tcn al
vantage Of The strike to obtain speculative ptice, i re
! strike and declining 10 load .., ,-o
TeTc d. c Dg9 ss" a rn M maRst WIZ coal 10
derment prices The coal trade belnnng wear ag.
interest vas held Al house Perpont Morg,n IN
rg9 1t was simply an informal 'Sne'oPfe e poneton
believed to be all II c9a1 s, oont s
Gecn e.: h9 D !" I III. to about - CO. The ar
tnc a, VIZ Holden Joseph Harris mi
y ms @i ggirg , e IoT sa d s Sn name
have not been mindful OF Ia, committee conn-s' NJ
e,sE h"y have an 49, v tl cnm,nee There were
DeuslueS -ipnIaous 1ch separate ineo-t 90 Asn
ors po ap sn they hal Tcache during my entire thirty
would raiy hal The time there would be- strikes or
other 10 between capital AMI labor know
zach paitr should be- compelled 10 arirato and the iec
.% 95s o. ''0 ''''' - '''' ''''' '''''-
Assemblyman Martin said that witness had testified
last week that dealer had lowered the scale Of his
prices and had endcarorcd TO hire non-union men nj
lower rates 20 make up hl loss Mr. Martin asked what
was the price Of coal agreed upon. Mr. Potts said:
u, r. !, 10 Nc Pr g ~ I y me g a ~ snrpiy
solno OF LABOR difficulties win sav mat knew What to
do would apply ny rem~lio- NcwIersev before gave
them away to sew ORR r~T hove'e thG' laws canRGs
pioycd.
Austin Corhin president 81 the Reading Railroad Com
pany, was the next witness lie said:
The company coal largely and carries for other
companies also 1hc conpany mined - December $1,000
cucs win m annual rrcyction abou, 7oooono tons
~ e9%P"9y 9 3 % i9c ~ iS. wa. !" i' nei
loss found my,ef at week IN a, VIZ 70
yania had threatened to yGcaie ny rcceiyership 4
o me- 70 ar a., EN- r.srags - 70 M i%Pr -. ne emf
mitoc winch VIZ" az I. give hci3n' Talne I" ,oa ana
to be 49, IN ~ :; 81 grsnr money % a. the
price 81 Labor. Just What sflN 10 un'er tcee ccum
phn a.ur i dome by The Philadelphia coal and Iron
by the Philadelphia AMI Reading
Mr. Corhin was unable to give specific answers 70 ques
on as to ne cot Of nnS "9d @ al Statistical e@ on nt
tons. He continued In answer u questions;
sSys By + d S IF s
believe IN anything That " pr"'en isgaI'
should board Of arbitraots TO whom should he referred
settled by Tie pares a~oS NJ ,H s s
disputes on,.de somm,.'rss r'ey'sDng %.gantson
trouble endeavor 70 he Just cou.derato ltsincnt
10 demands for more wages IN business Ike Tho
trade n
years mas lost less tlau s26.c0o QUO.
Edwin r. Holden. second vice.prcsldent OF Tie Della
ware Iackawauna and Western l:aroad. testified:
coal iid. Of IN. amount was u. own production
90 s 20. i" coal pioacon Tke elements Of coa
according =" n n, thin. mysef maj H. cost q,
Transporting ton OF coal IRON the mine 10
tide be les than three quarters OF cent
me That exclusive 81 terminal expenses agree with
MI Pots ts+t ~ e, s % ihs e ets ,2 ~ ION 70 . s
goal va Py' t r A. Tor ie .psp Tb c
fttffe. cha Ia nd
chosen unan nously IL hal real authority
tremey depressed condition market that It
Of Contract at ALL merely general under,tn ng that
all TO eonnne our supplies 70 the capacity oi The
market cap,cy would be Tor the
ton ,ach In view Il the OF all. ship
out the would CRAFTY I'M
proved ba ts con s cs gwen and
Every coal the country lost money large
Ibecve in genuine arbitration and think the companies
tnieG boar Of aIbruofs The is that It's decisions
could not be enforced against the men Even tey
found o precipitatng another strike.
After IA short for luncheon Patrick Magnnis OF
Hoboken. took the stand. lie works for the Delaware
Iackaw and Western road lilo said hc paid by
week for the months. The top the wharf he
said is called steady JOB 1t cost - ~ TO get
place there. lie continued:
We had To pay blackma money William Fallen tho
To- o M, me rs 9 1t. assI Indictment Tor II
him back Our men out January g. The men AT
Johnson and Ehabehport were Reduced the day
coming and concluded ~ sion 81 had
demand Tor the equalization Of IN October
They willing u eguazo but by reducing rather than
increasing wages
Patrick Edward said that he a wheeman. In 1885
he often only - for weeks work lie was maid
at the rate OF twenty cents hour There wa, more
work In 1856. and he made about 80 u week Toward
the $50 he made little more When thcro wa.
a rush the company would take on hundred or a hun.
dred and fifty men. he said, when forty would
have been enough. When the rush WINS
over they would not discharge these men. but
left them on. running the chances of vnrl Tor hn
regu lar men, He had known II good man 10 got only
nfty cents for two weeks work He went ON , '
We got notice saying 10 reduced from, 90 IN
90 cents. That abont December 20 We an
poined confer with them bnt tho conrarv
declined Withdraw the notice. January wa Vent
out and not been at work since w WV"
paid 22l2 an hour. Last December the commando IN
creased the price OF coal and then Immediately lowered
wages from ~ 10 to 20 cents lie continued y '"NN